Wire reinforcement member for cushions



Aug. 28, 1962 w. H. NEELY 3,051,471

WIRE REINFORCEMENT MEMBER FOR CUSHIONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 50, 1959 FIE 1 INVENTOR.

WILLIHH HNEELY 2 F B Q M arr.

Aug. 28, 1962 w. H. NEELY WIRE REINFORCEMENT MEMBER FOR CUSHIONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 50, 1959 INVENTOR. WILLIHN H-NEELY United States Patent M 3,051,471 WIRE REINFORCEMENT MEMBER FOR CUSHIONS William H. Neely, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Hoover Ball & Bearing Co., Saline, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Sept. 30, 1959, Ser. No. 843,502 3 Claims. (Cl. 26781) This invention relates to resilient cushion material such as latex, sponge rubber, urethane and materials having similar characteristics.

Resilient cushion material of this type when of substantial thickness, lacks, particularly in its edge portions, sufficient yielding resistance to maintain in use the materials general form, a factor of great importance for tailored appearance of cushions.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of elongated, resilient, V-shaped wire reinforcing means for cushioning bodies of the type referred to, which Wire reinforcing means are arranged within predetermined areas of the cushioning bodies, and constructed to increase the yielding resistance of these areas and the resistance of the cushioning bodies against deformation.

Shaping of elongated resilient V-shaped wire reinforcing means, preferably formed from sinuously corrugated wire strips, is effected by twisting the loops at the one side edge of a sinuously corrugated wire to successively extend adjacent pairs of its cross members into two angularly related planes and coupling the loops at the other side of the sinuously corrugated Wire with elongated strips of pliable material to provide elongated, resilient, V-shaped wire reinforcing means adapted to be readily shaped to the desired contour.

Another obj ect of the invention therefore is the provision of an elongated, resilient, V-shaped wire reinforcing means for cushioning bodies of the type referred to which embodies two angularly related interconnected sinuous wire strip portions successively connected with their free loops to elongated strips of pliable material arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the elongated V-shaped wire reinforcing means.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a resilient, cushioning body of long range elasticity and light weight having edge portions reinforced by elongated, resilient, V-shaped wire reinforcing means of the type described which V-shaped reinforcing means are positioned within the edge portion of the cushioning body and secured therein.

A still further object of the invention is the combination of a resilient cushioning body of long range elasticity, light weight and a slitted side edge portion with an elongated resilient V-shaped wire reinforcing means of the type described positioned within the slitted side edge portion and encircled thereby, the V-shaped reinforcing means having the pliable, elongated strips secured to opposed wall portions in the slit of said side edge portion.

Another object of the invention is the combination of a resilient cushioning body of long range elasticity and light weight assembled from superposed layers of foamed (la tex-like), sponge-like material and elongated, resilient V- shaped wire reinforcing means arranged in predetermined areas between the layers of the resilient cushioning body, the V-shaped wire reinforcing means being secured to opposed walls of superposed layers and the superposed layers being cemented to each other in areas encircling the V-shaped wire reinforcing means.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention has certain other marked superiorities which clearly distinguish it from presently known structures and arrangements of this type. These improvements or characteristics embodying certain novel features of construction and de- 3,051,471 Patented Aug. 28, 1962 sign are clearly set forth in the appended claims and the preferred forms of embodiment of the invention hereinafter shown with reference to the accompanying drawings forming part of the specification.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates in perspective fragmentary view a resilient, cushioned body having its side wall slitted and an elongated, resilient, V-shaped wire reinforcing element arranged within the slit of the side wall and secured to opposed walls of the slit.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a sinuously corrugated wire strip having its loops at one side successively bent in opposite directions.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an end view of the resilient V-shaped wire reinforcing element.

FIG. 5 is an end view similar to FIG. 4 showing supporting and mounting elongated strips of pliable material.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the elongated, resilient, V-shaped wire reinforcing means shaped for reinforcing cushioned bodies having rectangular corners.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 for reinforcing cushioned bodies having rounded corners.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary side view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 99 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken on line 1010 of FIG. 8 showing the hogring means for attaching the wire reinforcing element to a cushioned body.

FIG. l 'l is a sectional view taken on line 11--11 of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary side view of a reinforced, resilient cushioned body.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken on line 1313 of FIG. 12, and

FIG. 14 is a sectional view of a reinforced, resilient cushioned body embodying superposed layers of foamed latex-like sponge.

Referring now to the particular form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 through 13 of the drawings, reference numeral 2 denotes a resilient cushion of reinforced sponge rubber, foamed latex sponge, or material having substantially similar characteristics, that is the material is spongy, has long range elasticity, and is of light weight. Cushion 2 includes a circumferential side wall 3 which is slitted longitudinally midway thereof, and supports in its side wall slit 4 an integrally shaped elongated, resilient, wire reinforcing member 5 having two angularly related wire strip portions 6 and 7.

The V-shaped wire reinforcing member 5 is developed from a sinuously corrugated wire strip 8 by twisting its loops at side edge 9 to extend adjacent pairs 11 and '12 of cross members 14 successively into two angularly related planes and by bending its loops at side edge '16 of wire strip 8 to hook shaped portions 17 and 18 which are positioned at the free ends of adjacent pairs 11 and 12 of cross members 14. Hook-shaped portions 17 and '18 are successively connected to each other by elongated pliable cords '19 and 20 of twisted paper or other suitable material, which cords are encircled by the hook-like portions.

The wire reinforcing members 5 are bendable to any desired contour, see FIG. 6 disclosing two angularly related sections 21 and 22 of V-shaped wire reinforcing member 5, which sections form an angle 23 having a sharp edged apex 24, and FIG. 7 disclosing two angularly related sections 25, 26, merging into each other by curved section 27.

The elongated resilient V-shaped wire reinforcing member is fully extended into the slit 4 of cushion 2 and attached to opposed walls 28 and 29 of the slit by hogn'ngs 30 to secure pliable cords 19 and 20 to walls 28, 29. Slit 4 has sufficient depth to fully seat reinforcing member 5 3 Within the slit and provide in the walls 28, 29before reinforcing member freely exposed strip-like portions 31 adapted to be cemented to each other to properly seal slit 4 when wire reinforcing member 5 has been inserted thereinto.

The yielding action of wire reinforcing member 5 eflects compression of the material of cushioning member 2 opposite the reinforcing member so that edge portions 32 of cushioning member 2 more readily resist compression and deformation, which resistance increases when a load is applied to the edge portions.

Resilient cushion material is readily reinforced at its edge portions by lengthwise slitting these edge portions to the desired depth, fully inserting the V-shaped reinforcing means into the slits for contact of said V-shaped reinforcing means with the bottom of the slits, hogringing the V-shaped reinforcing means to the walls of the slits and cementing the freely exposed areas of the walls of the slits to each other to seal the V-shaped reinforcing means within the resilient cushion material near the edge portions thereof.

Cushioning member 2 may of course be built up from layers of sponge rubber, foamed latex sponge, etc. as shown in FIG. 14 in which cushioning member 33 embodies two superposed layers 34, 35 having wire reinforcing members 5 arranged therebetween. Layers 34, 35 are cemented to each other except in the areas of wire reinforcing members 5 which may be secured to the opposed inner faces of the layers in any suitable manner.

While there have been shown some particular embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, therefore, it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modification-s as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a reinforced resilient cushion, a body of foamed sponge material having longitudinally slitted side walls, longitudinally extending a yieldable reinforcing member of substantially V-shape in transverse cross section embodying two angularly related elongated sections formed by laterally spaced cros members integrally extended from the apex of said V-shaped yieldable reinforcing member, said yieldable V-shaped reinforcing member being arranged within the slits of said side walls so that said cross members extend from said apex toward said side walls, and said slits being extended into said body a distance greater than the transverse dimension of said reinforcing member so that said slits are closable between said reinforcing member and said body side walls to enclose said reinforcing member Within said body.

2. A reinforced resilient cushion as described in claim 1 including fastening means arranged in the slits of said side walls and securing the reinforcing member to opposed walls of the slits.

3. In a reinforced resilient cushion, a body of foamed sponge material, a longitudinally extending reinforcing member formed of corrugated Wire and disposed in said sponge material, said reinforcing member being of a substantially V-shape in cross section and including a pair of angularly related sections which extend in different directions from the apex of said V-shape member and are yieldably movable toward each other, said reinforcing member being disposed in said body so that opposite sides of said member engage said body and the space between said angularly related sections is substantially unobstructed so that said sections are freely movable toward each other in response to loads applied to said cushion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,029,076 Leeman Jan. 28, 1936 2,248,917 Elfenberger July 8, 1941 2,459,758 Flint Jan. 18, 1949 2,638,155 Clark May 12, 1953 2,656,880 Graupner Oct. 27, 1953 2,849,057 Neely Aug. 26, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 636,672 Great Britain May 3, 1950 

